taloncompanyfandomcom-20200214-history
Greylands Guide
The Grey Lands Pocket Guide to the Northern Territory Customs =Land of the Free = The Northern Territories will always remain “territories” because no king has ever believed the lands to be worth the trouble. Ages ago when settlers first came to these lands, kingdoms were built left and right...except, well, North. The Grey Lands have and always will be harsh, unforgiving environments. In the words of High King Ulfric II, “To claim the Grey Lands would be as pointless as claiming a desert. Our fortunes are better spent on homes that could provide, not deprive our people”. Since then, tribes and villages have managed to survive the elements of the North. But why bother? What good could come from such a frigid, damned countryside? The answers vary. Some seek freedom from empires, others are lured by the adventure, while most of its inhabitants stay simply because they were born there. The Grey Lands ARE their home, no matter how miserable it seems to outsiders. Aye, the Northern Territories may forever be free from civilized rule. Unless some fool seeks to pick a fight with the Northron folk who have made it their home. =Bound Together = The inhabitants of the Grey Lands cherish being free from Kings and Queens, but that is not to say they live in chaos. Each village has it’s own council of local trusted leaders that provide a sense of direction in this land without kings. They resolve blood feuds, maintain adequate food stores, oversee trade, and interact with the Rangers Guild on a daily basis. Early settlers of the North had no idea how hellish the conditions could be at times. Many died before they realized they could not make it without banding together. One by one, villages and checkpoints were set up across the territory...the first being Greyheim (Grey home). At the center, they founded their first village, and traveled outward to build more homesteads. It was also during this time, that the Northern Rangers Guild was founded. Composed of the best hunters, the Rangers were critical in helping merchants, builders, and families travel the lands. To this day, the Guild still guides travelers along those ancient trails. =Northernborn = No sane person would raise children in the Grey Lands...but the Northerners have done so for centuries. Like a herd watching the calf, a village will look after its young. For as the villagers get older, the more they’ll depend on their offspring to take on responsibility. At first the children will tend the animals, then the farms, and eventually graduate to hunting, blacksmithing, trading, or be selected for the Rangers Guild. Regardless of sex, the child is expected to do their share of work. Failing to do so, usually leads to exile from the village. Many young Northerners leave their villages once they come of age. This is not looked down upon by Grey Landers, as long as a replacement is found to handle their share of the work. Yet fleeing a village, especially during the winter seasons, is prohibited. Merchants have reported that those who flee are returned by Rangers, tried before the council, and dragged to the blacksmith to be branded. That way, if they flee, the accused cannot find shelter in any Northern village. = To Have and to Hold, in the Icy Cold= Despite the stories and gossip, Northernborn are actually fond of marriage and monogamy. Partnership and loving bonds are what allowed the Northern Territories to be founded in the first place, so the sacrament is embraced greatly. Being they are still brutish people in harsh lands however, the customs are still quite different out there than in the empires to the south. Marriage is not a prerequisite for sex, those of the same sex can wed, and arranged marriages only occur as desperate measures of quelling bloodfueds. The marriage ceremony itself changes from one village to the next in the Grey Lands. Those of Greyheim gather around a bonfire, a couple from Pine Watch will climb to say their vows at the top of Overwatch Peak, and so on. What never changes, is the fierce, warriorlike bond that is forged in those ceremonies. Adultery is unheard of among the Northernborn. They take pride in keeping their word, and hold true until the day they die. =To Rest on the Pale... = Death is an ever present threat in the Northern Territories. Whether it be by sabrecat or old age, the Northerners have ways of addressing the deceased. The frosty grounds are often too hard to dig through, so burying corpses in a mound of stone has become the traditional way to bury the dead. Those that speak the Northernborn tongue are also known to recite a few last words. The phrase changes from village to village, but it roughly translates to the following: “Born in the Cold, To Rest on the Pale, Since days of Old, Ghosts Guard our Veil.” I hope this modest composition of such an ancient culture will serve you travelers well. The Grey Lands are not for the soft, but are unmatched in the adventures and mysteries they offer the brave. Tread lightly, explorers. Category:Greylands Category:Guide Category:Area Category:Land